1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates generally to spatulas, specifically to a spatula for cleaning and salvaging residual material from the interior of a container.
2. Prior Art
When a container that holds a viscous material is substantially emptied, some residual material will still adhere to its wall and bottom. A typical metal container, such as a paint can, also has an overturned rim in the shape of an inverted "U" that traps residual material thereunder.
Various tools have been proposed for salvaging residual material from and cleaning a container. U.S. Pat. No. 4,627,128 to Shea (1986) shows a tool that includes a semi-cylindrical scoop attached to a handle. The scoop includes a semi-circular end wall at its rearward or handle end, and an olive-shaped end wall at the forward end. The longitudinal sides of the scoop are used to scrape residual material from the wall of a round container by engaging it thereon and running it around the wall. Alternatively, the olive-shaped end wall can be used to scrape residual material from the wall by pulling it along the axis of the container. However, the scoop cannot remove residual material from under the inverted U-shaped rim of metal cans.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,987,635 to Young (1991) shows a trowel that includes a flat, rectangular blade attached to a handle. An arc-shaped, flat end piece extends from the forward end of the blade at a predetermined angle from the plane of the blade. Two protrusions extend from the rearward end of the blade at a complementary or opposite angle from the plane of the blade. The arc-shaped end piece is used to scrape residual material from the wall of a round container by pulling it along the axis thereof. Each protrusion is used to scrape material from under the inverted U-shaped rim of the container by positioning and engaging the protrusion thereunder, and running it therealong. However, the longitudinal sides of the blade cannot be used to scrape material from the wall of the container, because the end piece and protrusions, which are set at opposite angles, prevent the sides of the blade from lying flat against the wall. Therefore, the trowel can only scrape material from the wall with its relatively narrow end piece, which is slow and inefficient.